A community music studio claim they will be left “homeless” when a new school is built on the site of the former youth centre where they are based.

Studio22 - a not-for-profit organisation giving young people aged between five and 25 the chance to rehearse, record and learn new skills - has been based on Hammond Way in Penylan, Cardiff , for the past 20 years.

But now the building where the studio is currently based - at the site of the former Howardian Youth Centre - will be demolished under plans to make way for a new primary school.

Read More

The youth centre has already been demolished with temporary school accommodation created at the site in 2015.

Studio 22 has been operating three days a week at the temporary accommodation, but volunteers say they may be forced to close if they don’t find funding to open a new facility before the building work starts on the new school later this year.

The studio’s manager, Bernard ‘Bud’ Harper, said: “When the new primary school opens, they are going to knock down the existing building and the studio will essentially be homeless.”

Studio22 Manager Bernard ‘Bud’ Harper

Bud, an experienced youth worker, said: “For the past 20 years we’ve had so many young people pass through here, and many of them stay on as volunteers.

“Our group at the moment is really strong and we would all be devastated if we had to close. It’s hard to put into words.

Read More

“It sounds like a cliché, but young people could be left out on the streets causing trouble. You only have to look back at the previous generation to see the impact something like this will have.

“When you see young people struggling or going through difficult periods in their lives, it’s nice for them to have support outside of school and away from their parents.”

Studio 22 say they had their funding cut by Cardiff council last year.

The former Howardian High School site in Penylan (Image: Western Mail)

Undeterred, staff and volunteers pulled together and raised funds to trial an independent studio, which they say has been a huge success over the past six months.

Now, the studio faces further uncertainty as building work for the new primary school is due to start this year.

Negotiations have been made with Cathays Youth and Community Centre to relocate Studio22 within a part of their building and they have agreed to provide the studio with a space.

But the space has been unused for years and is in need of building work.

Volunteers now have to raise more than £15,000 to cover the renovation costs and a Go Fund Me page has been set up as part of the campaign.

An artist's impression of how the new school could look

A statement on the page reads: “Unfortunately, in 2016 Cardiff Council announced that they would be cutting Studio22’s funding entirely and the building we are currently located in is scheduled for demolition in 2017/2018.

“We were all devastated by the news. Over 20 years of hard work ended in one day.

Read More

“We refused to give up on Studio22. Staff and volunteers pulled together and decided to trial an independent Studio22 to see if it was plausible to continue our work.

“After six months we all agree that things have never been better.

“One thing is now certain, we have to continue our mission.”

The studio is open to young people from the age of five to 25

It adds: “So now in our final hour of need we are turning to you, the community we have served for so long, in a desperate plea for help.

“We are hoping that all the kind people within the community will find it in their hearts to help us in our time of need and help us continue our work for another 20 years.”

A Cardiff council spokeswoman said: “Studio 22 is a community run organisation that has received support from the City of Cardiff Council including help to secure their base on the Howardian site and the donation of the studio equipment.

“The council investigated options for the studio to transfer to a number of council-retained youth centre buildings but they opted to remain at Howardian with a view to eventually transferring to Cathays.”